Description of a new species of Lamellothyrea Krikken (Coleoptera, Scarabaeidae, Cetoniinae) from the iSimangaliso Wetland Park, KwaZulu-Natal (South Africa)

Researchers have identified a new species of beetle, Lamellothyrea isimangaliso, within the genus Lamellothyrea Krikken, 1980, found exclusively in the iSimangaliso Wetland Park, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. This discovery resolves previous taxonomic ambiguity surrounding L. descarpentriesi, revealing two distinct species separated by a significant geographical gap in southern Mozambique. The new species is characterized by unique clypeal structure, dorsal tomentum patterns, and aedeagal paramere shape, with its distribution restricted to dune forest habitats along the coastal belt. Adult activity of L. isimangaliso exhibits seasonal peaks tied to rainfall, occurring at the onset of summer and in autumn. The study leverages recent field data from northern KwaZulu-Natal and Maputo Bay, Mozambique, to clarify species boundaries through morphological analysis.

Perissinotto, R. (2017). Description of a new species of Lamellothyrea Krikken (Coleoptera, Scarabaeidae, Cetoniinae) from the iSimangaliso Wetland Park, KwaZulu-Natal (South Africa). ZooKeys, 688, 35–48. https://doi.org/10.3897/zookeys.688.13632